Page:Lesser Eastern Churches.djvu/344

322 Summary

The kingdom of Abyssinia in the middle of East Africa is Christian. The gospel was first preached here by St. Frumentius and St. Aedesius. From Frumentius descends the line of Metropolitans of Aksum, called Abūna. The Church depends on that of the Copts, is under the Coptic Patriarch, and shares the Coptic heresy. Abūna is always a Coptic monk, ordained in Egypt. For one century (roughly 1550-1650), under Portuguese influence, it was Uniate. The Abyssinians use a rite based on that of the Copts, in the old form of their language (Ge'z). Their faith and canon law are Coptic, with variations of their own. They are certainly backward in civilization and are said to have remnants of pagan superstition. They judaize in many points and pay great reverence to an ark in every church, made on the model of the Ark of the Covenant, which they keep at Aksum. Their king, Negush Negashti, is the Lion of the tribe of Judah, because he descends from Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. In any case, surrounded by Islam, he upholds the name of Christ in his wild mountains.